1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally related to an alignment system for an outboard motor and, more particularly, to a pair of pliant components that automatically cause an outboard motor to become aligned with a straight ahead steering position as the outboard motor is tilted about a generally horizontal axis.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many different systems and devices have been developed for supporting and retaining an outboard motor in a tilted position, relative to a transom of a marine vessel, when the outboard motor is not in use. These devices and systems are generally helpful when the outboard motor is tilted upwardly during periods when the associated boat is being transported over land or when another means of propulsion is used to cause the watercraft to move on the water. In situations when an outboard motor is not in use to propel the boat, it is commonly tilted upwardly and stored in that inoperable position for extended periods of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,576, which issued to Driscoll on Dec. 26, 1972, describes an outboard motor stabilizer. An elongated outboard motor prop includes a first forked end for embracingly engaging the front side of the lower end of the upstanding propeller shaft housing of an outboard motor. It is provided with a strap means for releasably securing the propeller shaft housing in the first forked end of the prop. The second end of the prop has a mounting bracket oscillatably supported therefrom for swinging of the prop relative to the mounting bracket about an axis extending transversely of the second end of the prop. The mounting bracket is in turn oscillatably supported from a mounting plate for swinging about an axis relative to the latter disposed at right angles to the first mentioned axis and the mounting plate is provided with means for at least semi-permanent securement to the rear transverse cross member of a trailer frame. This mounting of the prop enables the latter to be used as a prop in securing an associated outboard motor in a tilted position or to be swung to an out of the way position extending along and disposed behind the rear transverse frame member of the associated boat trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,669, which issued to Huggins et al on Jul. 7, 1998, describes an outboard motor traveling bracket. The bracket supports an outboard motor or outdrive while being transported over the road on the stem of a boat. The bracket allows the foot or housing of the outboard motor or outdrive to be placed in such a up position so that it is not in danger of coming into contact with the surface of the roadway. The bracket also prevents excessive weight on and consequential damage to the hydraulic and manual tilt and support systems of the outboard motor or outdrive being transported. The bracket hangs from the factory drilled holes in the outboard motor clamp bracket or outdrive bracket by means of a drop bar pin secured in place by quickly and easily removable click pins. When assembled, the bracket forms a rigid support between the stem of a boat and the foot or shaft housing of the motor or outdrive being transported.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,861, which issued to Weaver on Nov. 9, 1999, describes a pivot bracket for stowing an outboard motor on a stowed dinghy. an outboard motor stow pivot bracket is disclosed for slowing a motor in a generally vertical orientation while mounted on the transom of a dinghy which itself is swung beamwise (on beam ends) from a horizontal, in-the-water position up into a generally vertical stowed position on the back of a carrier boat such as on the stem of a pleasure craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,109, which issued to Poll on Mar. 30, 1999, describes an outboard motor support device. The device is intended for use in securing an outboard motor to a transom of a boat which comprises a tie down bracket, a support, and a tie down strap. The tie down bracket is secured to the transom of the boat while the support is rotatably mounted to the motor such that when the motor is in an up position, the support can support can rotate about its mounting point to contact and support the motor. The tie down strap then passes behind the motor and is secured to the tie down bracket. This secures the motor between the support and the tie down strap and provides additional support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,733, which issued to Marshall on May 19, 1998, describes an adjustable strap assembly for raising, lowering and transporting outboard motors and similar heavy bulky objects. An adjustable strap assembly is provided for raising, lowering and transporting outboard motors and similar heavy bulky objects. The adjustable strap assembly, in its preferred embodiment, requires a handle having a central tubular portion, a single strap of nylon webbing or the like oriented in a figure-8 configuration with the material of the strap passing through the tubular central portion of the handle twice so as to form an assembly having a first strap loop on one side of the handle devoid of fasteners and a second strap loop on the opposite side of the handle formed by coupling together the first and second free ends of the strap using a suitable buckle assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,202, which issued to Williams on Aug. 18, 1998, describes an outboard motor support device. An outboard boat motor support device is attachable between the boat transom and the outboard motor to help the outboard motor from inflicting damaging torque to the transom mounting point during trailering or water operation. The device comprises a rigid plate fixedly attached to the transom of the boat and a support member capable of being retracted within the plate or extended from the boat to engage the lower casing of the outboard motor in a tilted position, thereby maintaining the outboard motor in the tilted position during trailering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,781, which issued to Johnson, Sr. on Jul. 15, 1997, describes an outboard motor support. The support is intended for preventing damage from inadvertent pivoting of the motor during trailering. It includes a pair of spring-loaded locking pins for convenient placement and removal. The support is attached to the motor and boat without making modifications thereto and handles are affixed to the spring-loaded locking pins for easy manipulation. Two embodiments of the outboard motor support are provided to accommodate the different popular types of outboard motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,888, which issued to Brewer on Aug. 11, 1987, describes an outboard motor support. A shock arm is adapted to be mounted between a trailer and the shaft of an outboard motor attached to a boat carried by the trailer. The shock arm includes a lower member rigidly affixed to the trailer frame and an upper member having a V-shape and adapted to receive the motor shaft. Between the lower and upper ends is a shock absorbing which absorbs the shock of the motor whenever the trailer hits a bump in the road. A hydroelectric tilt mechanism may be provided as a part of the motor to return the compressed shock absorber to the normal position or a spring may be included with the shock absorber to cause it to return to the normal position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,986, which issued to Wells on Apr. 27, 1976, describes an outboard motor support. The support is intended for use with an outboard motor in combination with a boat trailer. The motor support is pivotably attached to the trailer and has a support swingably attached to the trailer at its lower end and Y-shaped member which receives the propeller shaft housing of the outboard motor adjacent the propeller. A strap is connected through stirrups in the distal ends of the Y, holding the motor cradled in the Y. A female telescoping member is pivoted to the boat trailer and a male telescoping member is slidably received in the female member attached to the trailer frame so that the outboard motor is held in rigid position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,164, which issued to Hakala on Mar. 2, 1971, describes an outboard motor support. The support is particularly adapted for attachment to a primary outboard motor mounted on a boat transom and which has a fixed support section with a movable support section pivotally mounted thereon having means for supporting an outboard motor. The movable support section has a lever means extending forwardly toward the boat for pivotally moving the movable support section, thereby affecting vertical movement of the outboard motor into or out of the water. A latch means is also provided for holding the movable support section and the outboard motor in a selected vertical position. Spring means are also preferably provided which connect the opposite sides of the fixed support section of the outboard motor support means to the opposite end portions of the boat transom to automatically center the outboard motor mounted thereon when the steering mechanism is unattended and maintain the boat traveling along a straight course.
United States patent application Ser. No. 09/777,590 (M09494) which was filed by McCoy on Feb. 6, 2001, discloses a support bracket for an outboard motor. A support bracket for an outboard motor is provided in which a support arm is pivotally attached to a transom bracket of an outboard motor to allow it to pivot upward and be captured by a latching device which is rigidly attached either to a support structure of the outboard motor or directly to its driveshaft housing. When captured within the latching device attached to the outboard motor, the support arm prevents upward or downward movement of the outboard motor and inhibits any rotation of the outboard motor about its tilt axis. The support arm also inhibits rotation of the outboard motor about its steering axis. The support mechanism therefore prevents potential damage to the outboard motor and its support brackets when the outboard motor is stored in an upwardly tilted position and subjected to shock loads.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
When outboard motors are stored in a tilted up position, for either transportation on a boat trailer or movement from one location to another on a body of water, the support structure of the outboard motor is often subjected to shock loads. The effect of the shock loads is exacerbated when the outboard motor is also rotated about its steering axis in either a port or starboard direction when the shock load occurs. This rotation of the outboard motor away from its straight ahead steering position adversely affects the nature and magnitude of the stress to which the mounting brackets of the outboard motor are subjected. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if an inexpensive and simple system could be provided that assures that the outboard motor is aligned with a straight ahead steering position and away from either a port or starboard steering position whenever the outboard motor is tilted up about its tilt axis. It would also be significantly beneficial if the system provided for this function could automatically straighten the position of the outboard motor without additional required operator intervention.
An alignment system for an outboard motor, made in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first pliable member attachable between a first contact location and a second contact location. The first contact location is a part of the outboard motor and is rotatable with the outboard motor about a steering axis of the outboard motor. The second contact location is not rotatable with the outboard motor about the steering axis. Preferably, the second contact location is attached to the transom of a watercraft or to a transom bracket of the outboard motor. The first and second contact locations are spaced apart by a first distance when the outboard motor is attached to a boat and disposed in an operable position with the driveshaft being in a generally vertical position. It should be understood that variations from a vertical position, when the outboard motor is in an operable position, are within the scope of the present invention regarding the definition of the first distance. The first and second contact locations are spaced apart by a second distance when the outboard motor is attached to the boat and disposed in an inoperable position with the driveshaft being tilted away from the generally vertical position. When the outboard motor is in the inoperable position, the propeller of the outboard motor is raised out of the water in which the boat is being operated. When in the operable position, the propeller of the outboard motor is disposed below the surface of the water in which the boat is operated. The second distance is greater than the first distance. The first pliable member has a first length which is greater than the first distance, but equal to or less than the second distance. A first attachment component is connected to a first portion of the first pliable member. The first attachment component is attachable to the first contact location. A second attachment component is connected to a second portion of the pliable member. The second attachment component is attachable to the second contact location.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, a second pliable member is attachable between a third contact location and a fourth contact location. The third contact location is part of the outboard motor and is rotatable with the outboard motor about its steering axis. The fourth contact location is not rotatable with the outboard motor. The third and fourth contact locations are analogous to the first and second contact locations, but on a different side of the outboard motor. Third and fourth attachment components are provided with respect to the second pliable member and are generally analogous to the first and second attachment components.
The first and second pliable members are made of a generally inelastic material in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The belt webbing that is commonly used in the manufacture of seat belts for automobiles is an acceptable inelastic material for use in manufacturing the first and second pliable members. It should be understood that elastic material can also be used in alternative embodiments of the present invention.
The first and third attachment components are metal rings in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The first and third portions, respectively, of the first and second pliant members are disposed and fastened through the metal rings which can be rigidly attached to either of the transom of the boat or the transom bracket of the outboard motor. The second and fourth attachment components are metal clamps in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The metal clamps are used to fasten the second and fourth portions, respectively, of the first and second pliant members to the second and fourth contact locations which can be located on the port and starboard sides of a swivel head structure of the outboard motor. The first, second, third, and fourth attachment components need only be sufficiently rigid to maintain their respective portions of the associated pliable members in position at the respective contact locations. In other words, the attachment components need not be metal. They merely need to be sufficiently rigid to hold the first and second pliable members in position with respect to the contact locations.